Türkiye's President Erdogan arrives in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

By Esra Tekin, Mumin Altas and Serdar Acil

ISTANBUL/LEFKOSA (AA) — Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived on Saturday in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to attend events marking the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, known as Peace and Freedom Day.

Erdogan was welcomed by Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar at Ercan Airport in the capital Lefkosa. Following a welcoming ceremony, Erdogan laid a wreath at the Ataturk Monument in the city and signed the site's special book.

"We are experiencing the rightful pride of reaching the 50th anniversary of the July 20 Peace Operation, which our heroic Armed Forces carried out shoulder to shoulder with the Turkish Cypriot people.

"The Turkish nation once again showed to the world its unwavering commitment to its independence and future through this operation. The Turkish Cypriot people continue their struggle for independence, crowned with victory, with the steadfast support of the Motherland Türkiye, and they look towards the future with hope and confidence," Erdogan wrote in the book.

He also commemorated the Turkish soldiers who "left these lands as their homeland," and extended his gratitude to veterans who fought in the operation.

Erdogan was accompanied by Turkish parliamentary speaker​​​​​​​ Numan Kurtulmus.

The island of Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.

The Greek Cypriot administration was admitted to the EU in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots thwarted a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.​​​​​​​